best of the year lists 2009

I decided to try moving the annual best of the year lists to the blog

and see if this works better. This way, anyone can feel free to add

their personal lists whenever they want in the comments section.

I'm usually exposed to hundreds and hundreds of releases every year,

so one can imagine how challenging it can be to decide on 20 (or 40).

Often, I find that many of my favorite releases acquired during any

given year actually were from previous years, so this always makes me

wonder what I missed from the current year that will end up on next

year's list since I always create two separate lists for current and older

releases. As usual, I do not include a/O releases because it's obvious

that I think highly of them and they would take up space in my list

that could be used for other label's releases. Below my lists, you will

find those of different friends/colleagues/customers of a/O.

DALE LLOYD (and/OAR)

Favorite 2009 releases (alphabetical):

- ÆRA: Paean No. 1 (Faith Strange Recordings) first edition CDR

- GILLES AUBRY: s6t8r (Winds Measure Recordings) CD

- JUAN JOSE CALARCO: Darsena Intera (Mystery Sea) CDR

- CELER: Levitation And Breaking Points (self released) 3" CDR x 3

- CELER: Compositions For Cassette (Digitalis) cassette

- YANNICK DAUBY: Songs Of The Frogs Of Taiwan (Kalerne) CD

- RICHARD GARET & ANDY GRAYDON: Subtracted / Untitled [Altbau] (White_Line) 3" CDR

- BILLY GOMBERG & OFFTHESKY: Flyover Sounds (Experimedia) CDR

- GRAHAM HALLIWELL & LEE PATTERSON: Terrain (Confront) CDR

- LISSOM: Nest Of Iterations (Dragon's Eye Recordings) CDR

- MEW: No More Stories (Columbia) CD

- MOTH ELECTRET: Tocasin (Diophantine) CD

- SETH NEHIL: Flock And Tumble (Sonoris) CD

- YUI ONODERA & THE BEAUTIFUL SCHIZOPHONIC: Radiance (Basses Frequencies) CD

- TOMAS PHILLIPS: Six Notes (Koyuki) 3" CDR

- ROBERT RICH & FARYUS: Zerkalo (Faria) CD

- TARAB: Take All The Ships From The Harbour And Sail Them Straight Into Hell (23Five) CD

- PETER THOMAS: Chariots Of The Gods? (Polydor Germany) CD re-issue with bonus tracks

- WAN-SHUEN TSAI & YANNICK DAUBY: Village, Vestiges (La CoLLombier) CD + book

- EDWARD WILLIAMS: Life On Earth (Trunk Records) CD

Favorite 2009 acquisitions from previous years (alphabetical):

- ALVA NOTO & RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: UTP_ (Raster-Noton) CD + DVD

- ANDERS DAHL: RGB Tapes (Conv) CDR

- FRANK DENYER: Music For Shakuhachi (Another Timbre) CD

- TAYLOR DEUPREE & KENNETH KIRSCHNER: May (Room40) CD

- DUNGEN: Ta Det Lugnt (Kemado) CD x 2

- MORTON FELDMAN: Crippled Symmetry (Col Legno) CD x 2

- MORTON FELDMAN: For Philip Guston (Wergo) CD x 4

- FENNESZ: Black Sea (Touch) CD

- FRITZ HAUSER & MICHAEL ASKILL: Space (Celestial Harmonies) CD

- TOSHIO HOSOKAWA: Deep Silence (Wergo) CD

- ALFREDO COSTA MONTEIRO: Anatomy Of Place (Monotype Rec) CD

- STEFANO PILIA: Action Silence Prayers (Die Schachtel) CD

- POPOL VUH: Die Nacht Der Seele - Tantric Songs (SPV) CD

- ELIANE RADIGUE: Adnos I - III (Table Of The Elements) CD x 3

- ANN SIDEN: Man's Need Of Comfort Is Without End (Firework Edition) CD

- VOLKER STAUB: Suarogate (Wergo) CD

- TAUS (Tim Blechmann & Klaus Filip): The Organ Of Corti (L'innomable) CD

- TOSHI TSUCHITORI: Dotaku / Sanukaito / Sounds Of Prehistoric Cave / Jomonko (Victor) 4 separate CDs

- YOSHI WADA: The Appointed Cloud (EM Records / Omega Point) CD

- V/A: Bauhaus Reviewed 1919 - 1933 (LTM) CD

- V/A: Japanese Masterpieces For The Shakuhachi (Lyrichord) CD

DVDs (alphabetical):

- LUIS BUÑUEL: Simon Of The Desert (Criterion) DVD

- ILDIKÓ ENYEDI: Simon Magus (Navigator) DVD

- ZOLTÁN HUSZÁRIK: Szindbad (Mokep) DVD

- JEAN PAINLEVÉ: Science Is Fiction: 23 Films (Criterion) DVD x 3

- RICHARD SCHENKMAN: The Man From Earth (Anchor Bay) DVD

- PETER WEIR: The Truman Show (Paramount) DVD

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STEVEN HESS (Dropp Ensemble, Haptic, On)

www.stevenrhess.com

Best of list for 2009:

- ARVO PÄRT: In Principio (ECM)

- SUPERSILENT: 9 (Runegrammofon)

- KTL: IV (Editions Mego)

- LOKAI: Transition (Thrill Jockey)

- GÜNTER MÜLLER: CYM_BOWL (Mikroton)

- ELEH: Retreat (Important)

- STEPHAN MATHIEU + TAYLOR DEUPREE: Transcriptions (Spekk)

- ROBERT HAMPSON: Vectors (Touch)

- NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS: White Lunar (Mute)

- ELIANE RADIGUE: Triptych (Important)

- WILLIAM BASINSKI: 92982 (2062)

- STEVEN R. SMITH: Cities (Immune)

- JON HASSELL: Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street (ECM)

- WILLIAM FOWLER COLLINS: Perdition Hill Radio (Type)

- SUNN O))): Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)

Movie:

- THE ROAD (Dir. John Hillcoat)

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KEVIN WIENKE (Alluvial Recordings)

- PHILL NIBLOCK: Touch Strings (Touch) CD x 2

- LEIF ELGGREN: Death Travels Backwards (Errant Bodies) DVD

- THOMAS KÖNER: La Barca (Fario) CD

- WILLIAM BASINSKI: 92982 (2062) CD

- GIANCARLO TONIUTTI: The Early Tape Years (VOD) LP x 3 + 10" Boxset

- JOHN DUNCAN: Live In Brussels 2007 (AQM) CDR

- MILES DAVIS: The Complete Columbia Album Collection CD x 70 + DVD (Columbia /Legacy)

- JESU OPIATE: Sun (Caldo Verde) CD

- ANDREW CHALK: The Cable House (Faraway Press) LP

- SPIRACLE: Ananta (Helen Scarsdale Agency) CD x 2

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ADAM SONDERBERG

Top 11 + 3 in Alphabetical order:

- GILLES AUBRY: s6t8r (Winds Measure Recordings) CD

- JEAN BAUDRILLARD: Le Xerox et l'Infini (Tapeworm) cassette

- CANNIBAL CORPSE: Evisceration Plague (Metal Blade) CD

- RICHARD GARET: Four Malleable (and/OAR) CD x 2

- DAVID GRUBBS: Hybrid Song Box.4 (Blue Chopsticks) CD

- JEPH JERMAN: Vinyl (Easy Discs) CDR

- PHILIP JULIAN: Low Activity Computer Solo (Free Software Series) FLAC

- PATRICK KOSK: Mondweiß (Edition RZ) CD

- MORRISSEY: Years of Refusal (Attack) CD

- NURSE WITH WOUND: The Surveillance Lounge (Dirtier) CD

- CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE / CHRISTOPH HEEMANN – Saiten in Flammen (Streamline) LP

- POLWECHSEL / JOHN TILBURY: Field (Hatology) CD

- ELAINE RADIGUE: Naldjorlak (Shiin) CD

- ERIK SATIE: 42 Vexations (Sub Rosa) CD

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BILL MAJOR

Best 2009

- ALFRED HARTH: Red Canopy (?)

- MARAL YAKSHIEVA & ANTHONY BRAXTON: Improvisations (Solyd Records)

- DROPP ENSEMBLE: Safety (and/OAR / either/OAR)

- JOHN BUTCHER GROUP: somethingtobesaid (Weight Of Wax)

- JACK WRIGHT QUARTET: Tenterhooks (Bug Incision Records)

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WILL LONG (Celer / Floor Sugar)

artificialcolors.blogspot.com/

thesingularwe.org/fs

- ELAINE RADIGUE: Triptych (Important) CD

- CHRISTOPHE CHARLES: Undirected / Dok (Ritornell) CD

- ANDREY KIRITCHENKO - Misterrious (Spekk) CD

- MESO MESO: Spoon (Yacca) CD

- ASUNA: live video at Syofukiji Temple (YouTube)

- AKI ONDA: Bon Voyage!: Cassette Memories Vol. 2 (Improvised Music From Japan) CD

- DALE LLOYD: Akasha For Record (Elevator Bath) LP

- SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE: RTZ (Drag City) CD

- BILLY GOMBERG: Comme (and/OAR / mOAR) CD

- CHUBBY WOLF: Meandering Pupa (CW) CDR

- FM3: Buddha Machine II (FM3)

- MIKA VAINIO: Vandal (Raster-Noton) LP

- FJORDNE :The Setting Sun (Kitchen) CD

- PAWN: Glass + Breath (Dynamophone) CDR

- HIROKI SASAJIMA: Nine (Self-released) CDR

- COREY FULLER: Seas Between (Dragons Eye Recordings) CDR

- EVOL: Fart Synthesis (Presto!?) cassette

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KURT LIEDWART (Mikroton Records)

No particular order. These are which I played a lot during the year.

1. CHRISTOF KURZMANN & BURKHARD STANGL: Neuschnee (Erstwhile) CD

2. JASON KAHN: Vanishing Point (23five) CD

3. WERNER DAFELDECKER, CHRISTOF KURZMANN, JOHN TILBURY & STEVIE WISHART: Violet (Mikroton) CD

4. BURKHARD STANGL & KAI FAGASCHINSKI: Musik — Ein Porträt In Sehnsucht (Erstwhile) CD

5. GÜNTER MÜLLER WITH ALAN COURTIS, PABLO RECHE, SERGIO MERCE, GABRIEL PAIUK: Buenos Aires Tapes (Monotype) CD x 2

6. DAVID SYLVIAN: Manafon (Samadhisound) CD + Book

7. CAPECE, ECKHARDT, KESTEN, MALFATTI, NAKAMURA & SUGIMOTO: Wedding Ceremony (Cathnor) CD

8. RHODRI DAVIES, MICHEL DONEDA, LOUISA MARTIN, PHIL MINTON & LEE PATTERSON: Midhopestones (Another Timbre) CD

9. THE AFTERNOON SAINTS: The Shirley Jangle (Kraak) LP x 2

10. PHOSPHOR: Phosphor II (Potlatch) CD

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SEAN O'BRIEN (SPIRIT HOUSE Eastside Radio 89.7FM, Sydney, Australia)

22 in no particular order, all great listening:

1. M SQUARED RARE RECORDINGS 1978-1983: (Vinyl On Demand) LP x 6

2. GERM STUDIES: For Guzheng & DX7 (Splitrec) CD x 2

3. JIM DENLEY & KIM MYHR: Systems Realignment (and/OAR / either/OAR) CD

4. THE NECKS: Silverwater (Fish Of Milk) CD

5. ROIL: Meaning (Rufus) CD

6. CANDLESNUFFER: Mimosa (hellosQuarerecordings) CD

7. JOHN BUTCHER GROUP: somethingtobesaid (Weight of Wax) CD

8. AN ANTHOLOGY OF CHINESE EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC (Sub Rosa) CD x 2

9. DAVID SYLVIAN: Manafon (samadhisound) CD

10. JON HASSELL: Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street (ECM) CD

11. ALVA NOTO & RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: utp (Raster-Noton) CD x 2

12. TU'M: Monochromes Vol. 1 (12k / L-ne) CD

13. OREN AMBARCHI: Intermission 2000-2008 (Touch) CD

14. BIOSPHERE: Wireless (Touch) CD

15. BROADCAST & THE FOCUS GROUP: Witch Cults Of The Radio Age (Warp) CD

16. PEOPLE BAND: 69/70 (Emanem) CD x 2

17. TOMOKO SAUVAGE: Ombrophilia (and/OAR /either/OAR) CD

18. POLWECHSEL & JOHN TILBURY: Field (Hat Hut) CD

19. GHANA SPECIAL: Modern Highlife, Afro-sounds & Ghanaian Blues 1968-81 (Soundway) CD x 2

20. ROB MAZUREK QUINTET: Sound Is (Delmark) CD

21. LAURA ANDEL ORCHESTRA: Doble Mano (Rossbin Records) CD

22. HARMONIA & ENO '76: Tracks & Traces re-released (Gronland) CD

& a year of great concerts in Sydney, including:

1. HARMONIA, Basement, Sydney, January

2. PURE SCENIUS - ENO with the NECKS, Sydney Opera House, June

3. JON HASSELL, Sydney Opera House, June

4. MIDDLE HEAD PROJECT, Middle Head, Sydney, November

5. GERM STUDIES, Carriageworks, Sydney, December

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STEINBRÜCHEL

- GIUSEPPE IELASI: Aix (12k) CD

- LAWRENCE ENGLISH: A Colour for Autumn (12k) CD

- MARK WASTELL: After Hours (Cathnor) 3" CDR

- STEPHAN MATHIEU: The Key to the Kingdom (Dekorder) 10"

- RICHARD YOUNGS: Like a Neuron (Dekorder) LP

- ATILLA FARAVELLI: Beneath the Surface (Die Schachtel) CD

- HÄLSNINGAR FRAN SKOGEN: Compilation (Kning Disk) CD

- NILS FRAHM: The Bells (Kning Disk) CD

- RICKARD JÄVERLING: The Valleys (Kning Disk) CD + 7"

- BILLY GOMBERG: Comme (and/OAR / mOAR) CD

- FREDERIC NOGRAY: Nelki (Prele Records) CD

- ATOM TM: Liedgut (Raster Noton) CD

- IN THE COUNTRY: Whiteout (Rune Grammofon) CD

- SOISONG: XAj3z (Soisong) CD

- LOKAI: Transition (Thrill Jockey) CD

- NANA APRIL JUN: The Ontology of Noise (Touch) CD

- JACOB KIRKEGAARD: Labyrinthitis (Touch) CD

- WIXEL: Clouds (Self released, 2009 series) CDR x 12

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ERIC LANZILLOTTA (Dissonant Plane / Ri Be Xibalba / Anomalous Records)

www.dissonantplane.com

www.ribexibalba.com/ar/

- AFCGT: AFCGT (Uzu Audio) LP

- LAURIE SCOTT BAKER: Gracility (Musicnow) CD x 2

- L. BERNER: Blackout Nights (Zen Enthusia) cassette x 2

- SIR RICHARD BISHOP: The Freak Of Araby (Drag City) CD

- CRYSTAL HELL POOL: Wind Blows Through Me (Crippled Symmetry Recordings) CDR

- DROPP ENSEMBLE: Safety (either/OAR / and/OAR) CD

- LUC FERRARI: Labyrinthe De Violence / DANCE (Alga Marghen) 12"

- IBLISS: Supernova (Garden Of Delights) CD

- THE INNER SPACE: Agilok & Blubbo (Wah-Wah Records Sound)

- DEMIAN JOHNSTON: Forever (Dead Accents) cassette

- DEMIAN JOHNSTON: Still (Dead Accents) cassette

- DAVE KNOTT: Sweet Little Guitar Ditties (self released) CD

- R MILLIS: 120 (Etude Records) CD

- HIROAKI MINAMI: Obscure Tape Music Of Japan Vol.10: Electronic Symphony No. 1 (Edition Omega Point) CD

- ELAINE RADIGUE: Triptych (Important) CD

- ELAINE RADIGUE: Vice Versa, Etc. (Important Records) CD x 2

- MATT SHOEMAKER: The Sunken Plethora Consumes All (Mystery Sea) CDR

- OMAR SOULEYMAN: Dabke 2020: Folk And Pop Sounds Of Syria (Sublime Frequenices) CD

- SPERM: Shh! Heinäsirkat (De Stijl) LP

- SUN CITY GIRLS: Napoleon & Josephine [Sun City Girls Singles Volume 2] (Abduction) CD

- AKIO SUZUKI: Ki-date (Ichinomiya City Memorial Art Museum of Setsuko Migishi) DVD

- GIANCARLO TONIUTTI: The Early Tapes Period (Vinyl-On-Demand) LP x 3 + 10"

- UNICAZÜRN: Temporal Bends (uZu Music) CD

- SIMON WICKHAM-SMITH: A Seventh Persimmon (Tape Drift Records) CDR

- ZAÏMPH: Serpent's Bite (Heavy Blossom) CD

- V/A: 1970's Algerian Proto-Rai Underground (Sublime Frequencies) CD

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INVISIBLE BIRDS

www.invisiblebirds.org

- ALVA NOTO & RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: utp (Raster-Noton) CD + DVD

- ALVA NOTO: Xerrox Vol. 2 (Raster-Noton) CD

- WILLIAM BASINSKI: 92982 (2062) CD

- RAN BLAKE: Driftwoods (Tompkins Square) CD

- BILL CALLAHAN: Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle (Drag City) CD

- ELEGI: Varde (Miasmah Recordings) CD

- ELEH / NANA APRIL JUN: Observations & Momentum (Touch) CD

- AMBROSE FIELD & JOHN POTTER: Being Dufay (ECM) CD

- FIRE: You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago (Rune Grammofon) CD

- GRIZZLY BEAR: Veckatimest (Warp) CD

- HARMONIA & ENO '76: Tracks & Traces re-released (Gronland) CD

- JON HASSELL: Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street (ECM) CD

- TIM HECKER: An Imaginary Country (Kranky) LP

- LETHE: Catastrophe Point #5 (Intransitive Recordings) CD

- STEPHAN MATHIEU: The Key to the Kingdom (Dekorder) 10"

- MOUNTAINS: Choral (Thrill Jockey) CD

- MOUNTAINS: Etching (Thrill Jockey) LP

- PHILL NIBLOCK: Touch Strings (Touch) CD x 2

- NILS ØKLAND: Monograph (ECM) CD

- ADAM PACIONE: Still Life Series (Bee Eater Recordings) 3" CD

- ARVO PÄRT: In Principio (ECM) CD

- ELAINE RADIGUE: Triptych (Important Records) CD

- ELAINE RADIGUE: Vice Versa, Etc. (Important Records) CD x 2

- COLIN ANDREW SHEFFIELD: For Tomorrow (Bee Eater Recordings) 3" CD

- MATT SHOEMAKER: Erosion of the Analogous Eye (Helen Scarsdale Agency) CD

- MATT SHOEMAKER: The Sunken Plethora Consumes All (Mystery Sea) CD

- SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE: Luminous Night (Drag City) CD

- STEVEN R. SMITH: Cities (Immune) CD

- TAMARU: Figure (Trumn) CD

- RICHARD YOUNGS: Under Stellar Stream (Jagjaguwar) CD

- MIROSLAV VITOUS & MICHAEL PORTAL: Remembering Weather Report (ECM) CD

- YOSHI WADA: Earth Horns With Electronic Drone (Edition Omega Point) CD

- ROBERT WYATT: Box Set (Domino) CD x 14

- TOWNES VAN ZANDT: Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas (Fat Possum Records) LP

An extended list is here: theartofmemory.blogspot.com/2009/12/pre-2010.html

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BARTOLOMÉ SANSON (Kaugummi)

www.kaugummi.fr

- ROBEDOOR: Pagan Drugs (Ketchup Cavern)

- ANTIQUE BROTHERS: Season’s Feast (Not Not Fun)

- BARN OWL: The Conjurer (Root Strata)

- HIGH WOLF: Incalpulco (Winged Sun)

- SILVESTER ANFANG II: untitled (Aurora Borealis)

- EMERALDS: untitled (Wagon)

- SUN ARAW: Heavy Deeds (Not Not Fun)

- YOGA: Megafauna (Holy Mountain)

- SUPER MINERALS: Clusters (Stunned)

- POCAHAUNTED: Passage (Troubleman Unlimited)

- HEAVY WINGED: Walking, Shaking (Aurora Borealis)

- POCAHAUNTED: Radioshow @ Amsterdam (unrealesed)

- BEAR BONES, LAY LOW: Vallee De Dith (Kraak)

- SILVER BULLETS: Free Radicals (Stunned)

- SOCIAL JUNK: Born Into It (Digitalis)

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DANIEL CROKAERT (MYSTERY SEA/UNFATHOMLESS)

non exhaustive list of some zenithal 2009 audio-journeys (alphabetical order)

- JIM HAYNES: Sever (Intransitive) CD [special edition version with “Severed” 3”CDR bonus disc]

- JAMES McDOUGALL: Double Tilde (Mandorla) MP3

- STEVE RODEN: Ecstasy Showered Its Petals With The Full Peal Of The Bells (Ferns) 3”CD

- JANA WINDEREN: Heated – Live In Japan (Touch) CD

- ALIO DIE: Tempus Rei (Hic Sunt Leones) CD

- GILLES AUBRY: s6t8r (Winds Measure Recordings) CD

- MAX BELLANCOURT: The Stone Tape (Dead Sea Liner) CDR

- JUAN JOSÉ CALARCO & DAVID WELLS: Foce (SiRiDisc) CDR

- LOREN CHASSE/ADAM SONDERBERG & KATHERINE YOUNG: Characters At Water Margin/Speech Acts (Compost & Height) 3”CDR

- CHUBBY WOLF: L'histoire (Gears Of Sand) CDR

- JONATHAN COLECLOUGH & ANDREW LILES: Burn (October Editions) CDR

- JONATHAN COLECLOUGH: Flutter (October Editions) 2CDR

- STEPHEN CORNFORD: Two Works For Turntable (Permanent Gallery) 7”

- STEPHEN CORNFORD : Air Guitar (Sculpture Recordings) CDR

- ROBERT CURGENVEN/JEZ RILEY FRENCH : Largo Affettuoso – Aria II, 8th movement/pelure #6 (Compost & Height) 3”CDR

- ROBERT CURGENVEN : Silent Landscapes (Recorded Fields) CDR

- C.S.K.A.: Tapesong (Low Point) 3”CDR

- EARLABS 3: Helix (Entr'acte) CD

- ENTIA NON & SYLVIE WALDER: Bewilderment (Resting Bell) MP3

- ENTIA NON: Disinter (Sentient Recognition Archive) CDR

- ERIC LA CASA/TARAB: Les Vibrations Dans La Masse De Son Roulement/Utility (Compost & Height) 3”CDR

- PATRICK FARMER: Apis Mellifera, Moved To And Fro (Organized Music From Thessaloniki) CDR

- FIVE ELEMENTS MUSIC: Ctok (Still*Sleep) CDR

- FIVE ELEMENTS MUSIC: Pictures From Sand : Boiling Line (Still*Sleep) CDR

- RICHARD GARET & BRENDAN MURRAY: Of Distance (Unframed) CD

- HANDS OF SAND: A Quiet Reverie (BLURB) Book + CDR

- HAPSBURG BRAGANZA: Hatchling (Idiosyncratics) CD

- IAN HOLLOWAY: She Loves The Sky (Quiet World) CDR

- IAN HOLLOWAY & BANKS BAILEY: A Brief Sojourn (Quiet World) CDR

- HUM: Le Pilote De L'onde Vive (Self Released) 3”CDR

- JGRZINICH: Time's Arrow Landing (Maheeli Editions) MP3

- PETER JØRGENSEN: To (Monotype) CD

- FERGUS KELLY: Fugitive Pitch (Room Temperature) CDR

- FERGUS KELLY: Swarf (Room Temperature) 3”CDR

- DALE LLOYD: Akasha_For Record (Elevator Bath) PICTURE DISC LP

- FRANCISCO LÓPEZ: Untitled #228 (Ini,Itu) LP

- JAMES McDOUGALL: An Opening In The Canopy (Compost & Height) MP3

- JAMES McDOUGALL: Kin Kin (Q-Tone) MP3

- BEN FLEURY-STEINER & CHRISTOPHER McFALL: The Dirty & The Clean (Con-v) MP3

- CHRISTOPHER McFALL: Red Is The Color Of Price By Relation (Moving Furniture) CDR

- NATHAN McNINCH: When You Went Into Churches (mOAR) MP3

- JUAN ANTONIO NETIO: Divisions Of Space (Experimedia) MP3

- MICHAEL NORTHAM: beliefs, like a ruined piece of paper lost at the bottom of an infinite pocket (Semperflorens) MP3

- MICHAEL NORTHAM & SEIJIRO MURAYAMA: Moriendo Renascor (XING-WU) CD

- YANN NOVAK: The Breeze Blowing Over Us (Infrequency) CDR

- YANN NOVAK & JAMES DROUIN: + room- room (Henry Art Gallery) CD

- BEN OWEN: Two (Gruenrekorder) CDR

- LEE PATTERSON: Seven Vignettes (Shadazz) CD

- CÉDRIC PEYRONNET & TOY.BIZARRE ORCHESTRA: Kdi dtcb 216 – the Data series (Kaon) 3”CDR

- JONAS RUCHENHEVER: Somber (The Pyngwen Society) CDR

- HIROKI SASAJIMA: Monogenic (Sentient Recognition Archive) CDR

- HIROKI SASAJIMA: Renz (Q-Tone) CDR

- HIROKI SASAJIMA: Nine (Self Released) CDR

- SEASONS (PRE-DIN): Stars And Lights : We Fall Together (Thy-rec) CDR

- MATT SHOEMAKER: Erosion Of The Analogous Eye (Helen Scarsdale Agency) CD

- MATT SHOEMAKER: Wayward Set (Human Faculties) CDR

- PHILIP SULIDAE: Southwest (Audiotalaia) MP3

- NICHOLAS SZCZEPANIK: The Chiasmus (Sentient Recognition Archive) CD

- SUBLAMP: Breathletters (Dragon's Eye) CDR

- PHILIP SULIDAE: The Cause Of Others (Ripples) CDR

- SEATTLE PHONOGRAPHERS UNION: S/t (Mimeomeme / and/OAR) CD

- TARAB: Take All The Ships From The Harbour, And Sail Them Straight Into Hell (23Five) CD

- TZESNE: Crossing TierraHueca (Taâlem) 3”CDR

- MIRKO UHLIG: Gyokuro (Gears Of Sand) CDR

- DAVID VELEZ: Impulsive Habitat (Test Tube) MP3

- DAVID VELEZ & JAMES McDOUGALL: Sonoridades Industriales (Ripples) CDR

- ESTHER VENROOY & HELEEN VAN HAEGENBORGH: Mock Interiors (Entr'acte) CD – late discovery !

- V/A: In The Rhetoric Of Rupture & Reappropriation (Ripples) CDR

- V/A: Tori No Kaigi [San] (Trente Oiseaux) MP3

- V/A: Tori No Kaigi [Yon] (Trente Oiseaux) MP3

- DAVID WELLS: Efegin (SiRiDisc) MP3

- DAVID WELLS: 05 (SiRiDisc) MP3

- SIMON WHETHAM: Ratcha Anachak Thaï (Con-v) MP3

- JAMES WYNESS: Figure And Ground (Khora) CDR

- XIPHIIDAE: Transresonance Formation (Stunned) CDR

Other crescendos:

- Robert Curgenven @ Atelier Mommens (Bxl)

– Esther Venrooy performing “Vessel” @ Q-02 (Bxl)

- Jez Riley French @ Q-02 (Bxl)

– the birth of Impulsive Habitat netlabel

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EAMON SPROD (Tarab)

2009 favourites: five new & five old

Favorite 2009 (alphabetical):

- GILLES AUBRY: s6t8r (Winds Measure Recordings) CD

- LETHE: Catastrophe Point #5 (Instransitive) CD

- RAIONBASHI: In Teufel's Küche (Ignivomous/Absurd) 10" vinyl

- SEATTLE PHONOGRAPHERS UNION: Seattle Phonograpers Union (Mimeomeme / and/OAR) CD

- MIKA VAINIO: Aineen Musta Puhelin (Touch) CD

Favorite 2009 acquisitions from previous years (alphabetical):

- JOE COLLEY: Psychic Stress Soundtracks (Antifrost) CD 2005

- G*PARK: Yack Park (Zabriske Point) CD 1993

- G*PARK: Reuters (Tochnit Aleph) LP 2008

- THE NEW BLOCKADERS: Changez Les Blockeurs (VOD re-issue) LP 2004

- SMALL CRUEL PARTY: Islands Of Sleep (G.M.B.H.) LP 1998

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CARLO GIORDANO

Favorites list for 2009

- RHODRI DAVIES: Over Shadows (Confront)

- THOMAS KÖNER: La Barca (Fario)

- CM VON HAUSSWOLFF: Operations Of Spirit Communication (Die Stadt)

- ARVO PÄRT: Fratres (?)

- BIGLIETTO PER L'INFERNO: Un Biglietto Per l'inferno

- ERIC LA CASA: L'empreinte De L'ivresse (Digital Narcis)

- ERIC LA CASA: Quelque Chose De Cela, Le Désert (Collection Mémoires)

- ETANT DONNES: Royaume (Touch)

- FOVEA HEX: Allure (Die Stadt / Janet Records)

- JOHN WATERMANN: Dummyhead (?)

- LIONEL MARCHETTI: Noord Five Atlantica (Césaré)

- NOISE-MAKER'S FIFES: Legnica (Impulsy Stetoskopu)

- SIGUR RÓS: Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do (EMI)

- STILLUPPSTEYPA: Has [Or Has Not] Happenned (Meme)

- TELEVISION POWER ELECTRIC: Argiiindar (Ertz)

- TROUM: Seeing-Ear Gods (Discorporeality Recordings)

- CLINT MANSELL: Requiem For A Dream OST (Nonesuch)

- ALAN LAMB: Primal Image (Dorobo)

- JÓNSI & ALEX: Riceboy Sleeps (Parlophone)

- BERNARDO PASQUINI: Opere per Organo e Clavicembalo [Lorenzo Ghielmi - performer] (?)

- MANU HOLTERBACH: Aare Am Marzilibad (Erewhon)

- MINORU SATO: Perturbation Field And The Equilibrium (WrK)

- VACUUM BOYS: Songs From The Sea Of Love (Fire Inc)

- POPOL VUH: Affenstunde (?)

Film

- REQUIEM FOR A DREAM

- THE WRESTLER

- THE DARK KNIGHT

- ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

- DOUBT

- MATCH POINT

- QUANTUM OF SOLACE

- FRANKLYN

- WALTZ WITH BASHIR

- GATTICA

- INSIDE MAN

- MEMENTO

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YANN HASCOËT (Matière Brute)

- OREN AMBARCHI: Intermission 2000-2008 (Touch) CD

- CELAN: Halo (Exile On Mainstream) CD

- DROPP ENSEMBLE: Safety (and/OAR / either/OAR) CD

- EARLABS: 3 Helix (Entr'acte) CD

- ROBERT HAMPSON: Vectors (Touch) CD

- HAPTIC: The medium (Flingcosound System) 12"

- HAPTIC: Trebuchet (Entr'acte) CD

- KHANATE: Clean Hands Go Foul (Daymare) CD

- GÜNTER MÜLLER: Cym_Bowl (Mikroton) CD

- NARROWS: New Distances (Deathwish) 12"

- OXBOW: Songs For The French (Hydra head) 12"

- RADIAN: Chimeric (Thrill jockey) 12"

- TARAB: Take All The Ships From The Harbour And Sail Them Straight Into Hell (23five) CD

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FÉLICIA ATKINSON

http://feliciaatkinson.be

Records

- MOUNTAINS: Choral (Thrill Jockey)

- SYLVESTER ANFANG: Sylvester Anfang II (Aurora Borealis)

- FOLLE EGLISE: Anna's Present (Kaugummi)

- EMERALD: What Happened (No Fun)

- DUCKTAILS: Ducktails (Not Not Fun)

- PAN AMERICAN: White Bird Release (Kranky)

- BARN OWL: The Conjurer (Root Strata)

- ALTAR EAGLE: Judo Songs (Digitalis)

- SYLVAIN CHAUVEAU: Touching Down Lightly (Creative Sources)

- GREGG KOWALSKI: Tape Chants (Kranky)

- BILL CALLAHAN: Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle (Drag City)

- POCAHAUNTED: Passage (Troubleman Unlimited)

Best Shows 2009

- Robbie Lee + Sawako @ Monkey Town, Brooklyn

- White Lichens @ Fondation Cartier, Paris

- Mountains + Benoit Pioulard @ Compilotheque, Bruxelles

- Le Ton Mité + Reiko & Tori Kudo @ Compilotheque, Bruxelles

- Brown Bird @ Brick Bat Books , Philadelphia

- Peter Broderick @ Instants Chavirés, Montreuil

- Pillars Of Fire @ Cinema 104, Pantin

- Paul Labrecque + Theo Angel, Espace en Cours, Paris

- Pocahaunted, Les Voutes, Paris

- Tomoko Sauvage + Andres Goncalves; Festival Electoni-k; Rennes

- Liars, Villette Sonique, Paris

- Sunn O))) + Jesus Lizard, Villette SOnique, Paris

- Omar SOuleyman, Instants Chavires, Montreuil

- Quatuor Bela / Moriba Koité, Corbel, Festival Nuits d'Ete

- Nlf trio, Botanique, Bruxelles

- Jerome Rothenberg, Charlemagne Palestine, Charlemagne Palestine 's house, Bruxelles

- Gregg Kowalski + Brethern of the free spirit, Schipp, Bruxelles

- Fennesz + Sparklehorse, Ghent

+ i am still listening a lot to Charalambides, Grouper, Neil Young, Smog, Sybille Baier, David Grubbs, John Fahey,MV and EE, Oren Ambarchi, Fennesz Brethern of the Free Spririt, Lau Nau, Celer, Jim O'Rourke, Liars, Larkin Grimm, Magik Markers, Tenniscoats, Fursaxa, Leonard Cohen, The Angels of light, Morton Feldman, Webern, Bach, Chopin.

new version of website for 2010

In October I began working on new logos and a new version

of the website, and it seems that it was good that I didn't wait

until December because it ended up taking far longer than

anticipated... especially the logos. The new version of the site

is up now and I hope to start working on the next project:

the annual best of the year lists!

In the past, I created a page on the website that I would leave

up for a few months, but have considered moving it to this blog.

Stay tuned!

Wishing everyone a great new year for 2010!

Dale

and/OAR

www.and-oar.org

Seattle Phonographers Union

artist: SEATTLE PHONOGRAPHERS UNION

title: Seattle Phonographers Union

format: CD

link: www.and-oar.org/pop_and_mim1.html

A Mimeomeme release in cooperation with and/OAR.

This release encapsulates some of the finest performances over the span of

four years from 2004 to 2008. Longtime followers of and/OAR's catalog and

history (e.g. the compilations produced for Phonography.org) will be familiar

with names of most of the members of SPU featured throughout this release:

Steve Barsotti, Peter Comley, Christopher DeLaurenti, Katie Gately,

Mark Griswold, Doug Haire, Susie Kozawa (also of Aono Jikken Ensemble),

Dale Lloyd, Perri Lynch, Robert Millis (also of Climax Golden Twins),

Toby Paddock, Heather Perkins, Steve Peters and Jonathan Way.

Richard Garet: Four Malleable

catalog number: and/34

artist: RICHARD GARET
title: Four Malleable
format: CD x 2
link: www.and-oar.org/pop_and_34.html

"My work over the last several years has focused on the investigation of

aural phenomena, environment, spatial listening, structure, natural and

evolving processes, function, possibilities, and materiality. My interests

have led me to explore acoustics, psychoacoustics, binaural beats, and

diverse methods of recording sound, and the application of systems and

strategies, which have served as the fundamental departure towards

achieving my work."(Richard Garet)

"I'm very happy to announce and present Four Malleable, which comprises

what are among Richard's best compositions from four different years:

Imaginative Elements (2004), From Modified Tapes (2005), Sceneries

(2006), and Nocturne (2009). Four previously unreleased works that

place the mind's eye inside malleable forms and blurred locations. As is my

tendency to often draw comparisons to the world of cinema, this release

at times can feel very reminiscent of the well known scene in Antonioni's

"Deserto Rosso" where actress Monica Vitti watches as her friends slowly

fade into the hazy distance without anyone actually moving. While this

connection was not intentional on the part of Richard, it is quite

pertinent to a/O since he is to have a track featured as part of the

upcoming CD project entitled "Michelangelo Antonioni –Trilogy & Epilogue"

which casts its conceptual lens on Antonioni's tetralogy of films which

includes "Deserto Rosso". It was partially because of hearing the works

later featured on Four Malleable (among other works) that he was invited

to participate in the project." (Dale Lloyd - a/O)

Nathan McNinch: When You Went Into Churches

catalog number: moar.p34
artist: NATHAN MCNINCH
title: when you went into churches
format: MP3
link: www.and-oar.org/moar_catalog_moarp34.html

A little beauty from Petite.Sono's founder/curator.

Flymodus: Milky Seas

catalog number: either.p31
artist: FLYMODUS
title: Milky Seas
format: MP3
link: www.and-oar.org/pop_eitherp31.html

Håvard Volden: acoustic 12-string table top guitar & lo-fi electronics
Martin Taxt: tuba

a/O is happy to finally present its first online release via the either/OAR division,
and also glad to continue bringing attention to a new generation of very talented
Norwegian improvisational musicians (in addition to Kim Myhr) who have been quietly
establishing themselves over the past few years with performances in Norway and
abroad.

Dani Baquet-Long (1983-2009)

It is with great sorrow that I have to report the passing of Dani Baquet-Long
who was best known around the world for her work (with husband Will Long)
as the duo called Celer. Only knowing both of them for more than two years,
I already feel I have lost a good friend and family member, so it is inconceivable
how Will is coping with this right now. My thoughts and prayers have been
going out to Will and Dani ever since I received the news yesterday afternoon.

Will's phone call prompted me to immediately halt label activities for the rest
of the day, so no orders were shipped, however I am resuming with
operations today. Below is the message that Will Long has been sending out:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear friends, With great sadness I have to announce to you, our friends, that
Dani passed away yesterday, July 8. On Tuesday morning I woke to find her
unconscious, and not breathing. The medics were called, and she was revived,
but fell directly into a coma and didn't wake up. She passed away yesterday at 3pm,
with her family by her. All that is known to say why is that her heart stopped,
for no foreseeable reason. The only relation is that her father died in the
same way, of a cardiac arrest at the age of 29. She was 26. Right now I don't
know how to express the loss and sadness I feel, knowing that someone so
ultimately close to me, and such an inspiration and friend to so many other
people in the world is gone. All I can say is that she won't be forgotten, or
pushed aside only because she's gone. She'll always be with me, as my inspiration,
my love, my everything. All I can say is I miss her, every second. Right now I
won't be able to answer many emails, as there's only so much I can talk about this.
Time will heal this, but I know the sadness will never go away. This, I'm ok with,
as I never want to forget every way she changed my life, and touched my heart.
I appreciate all your support and love, and even though many of you only
knew her through her poetry, or her music, I hope they are good memories.

Enclosed is a favorite photo of her, taken at her beach, at home.
Also, here was her favorite quote:

"The Meaning is in the Wonder"
- Kenneth Patchen

Sincerely, Will

Bagatellen interview with Jim Denley & Kim Myhr

Al Jones, founder of Bagatellen kindly interviewed Jim and Kim
regarding their new "Systems Realignment" CD on the either/OAR
division of a/O. A very nice one too! Thanks to Al for asking the
right questions in order to dig deeper into the album.
LINK

For that matter, I would also like to thank all the people who have
took time out of their busy schedules to conduct insightful interviews
for and/OAR up until now.

Al also wrote a review for the Dropp Ensemble CD here:
LINK

and/OAR interview: Isobel Clouter & Rob Mullender

Jez riley French talks with Isobel Clouter & Rob Mullender about their
latest CD entitled "Myths Of Origin: Sonic Ephemera From East Asia".

*This is the third of an ongoing series of artist interviews revolving around
the latest releases on the and/OAR label.


JrF: In the sleeve notes to ‘Myths’, Isobel comments that it is often a story that
begins her interest in field recordings. I asked Isobel if she could relate the
story behind the trips to China & Japan that resulted in this release:

Isobel: I guess the starting point was trying to find a way to understand
man’s relationship to the sounds of the environment, something that is
actually very difficult to describe. I began by looking into cultural
mythologies relating to sounds of the environment and the selection of
singing sands as a starting point allowed us to look at a cross-cultural
approach. I guess the ignition for the trip came when I failed despite my
best efforts to find any actual recordings of the sands, even though they
were so well documented in literature as several sources revealed.
Starting close to home we travelled to the Isle of Eigg where Paul Burwell
had apparently recorded sounds and with good weather and good fortune
we managed to locate and record our first sample of singing sand.

Why East Asia? Well there were two main reasons, one was to meet with
the members of the Japanese soundscape association who had developed
the project ‘100 soundscapes of Japan’ which looked directly at the
Japanese cultural relationship to the sounds of the environment. Among
the 100 soundscapes were two of the singing sand beaches which were
of great interest to me and a range of myths and sounds which were
recorded as part of my trip. The other reason was to meet with Professor
Shigeo Miwa whose amazing work and website brought together stories
of sounds of the sands from around the world and it was through him I
was to learn more about the sands, environmental pollution and how to
access the booming sands of China.

Just as an aside it may be of interest to know that we made a
concerted effort to record sounds of booming dunes in Sinai in 2000 but
this attempt failed due to the fact that area we wanted to access was
in a military zone. Just to point out that not all trips are successful.....
there is a risk....

JrF: For me a sense of enjoyable exploration is essential when making
recordings – it’s the reason I enjoy it & if I didn’t enjoy it I wouldn’t
do it. I guess I have little interest in the scientific end of field recording.
So with that in mind how much of the content on the CD is made up of
sounds that you went to Asia intending to capture and how much did
you allow yourself to abandon any preconceived goals? Did you, for
example, have a responsibility to achieve certain results?

Rob: Well the project does have a professed environmental flavour to it,
since the whole 'musical sand' thing is very susceptible to pollution, and
part of Isobel's remit in going to get the booming sand recordings was to
highlight this issue. I wasn't present during the Japanese leg of the trip,
which is where the more travelogue-y recordings were made, having
joined Isobel in Beijing afterwards.

We ended up recording a fair amount of stuff in Dunhuang, which had
no specific purpose other than to hang onto events which caught my ear
- the odd parade of drummers (surprisingly, quite a few), and a bike ride
along the main road to the Mingsha sand mountain stick out in my memory.
Field recording as an act for and of itself isn't something that I do that
often - I tend to embark on a project to articulate a particular idea; or
rather, let ideas and materials find each other, so to speak. If that can
be done in an environment with a microphone of some sort, then all well
and good, but this puts material that I've recorded incidentally into an odd
category. It's not noise, but its not entirely signal either.

JrF: Next, the prickly question! I wonder whether you had any qualms
about using terms such as ‘singing sand’ or ‘booming sand’? I know there
is sometimes an institutional requirement for things to be given a name
but perhaps there is a danger, especially given that these recordings
were partly initiated to serve as founding material in the British
Libraries soundscape archives and indeed that Isobel is curator of these
archives, that applying or reaffirming these names will result in a loss of
wonder for those that go to hear these sounds in-situ? In short, if we
give a name such as ‘singing sand’ to the natural phenomenon it
represents do we not run the risk of taming it in some way or turning
it into an event with defined human expectations?

(nb: this question came into the equation following a comment in the
sleeve notes stating that the recording of ‘booming sand’ was one of
only two in existence. There are in fact several others that I know of
& no doubt others. These include recordings used in film soundtracks to
emulate airplane formations flying overhead. Perhaps there are only
two with the name ‘booming sands’ attached to them?)

Rob: We do stake out territory when ascribing names, but occasionally
the referent is a special case, and the actual experience of it will stand
up to all sorts of prior abuse. I imagine though, that nothing would
contribute more to the dynamic that you describe than distributing a
recording of the thing itself... The sands occupy an odd position with
respect to most other recorded 'natural' sounds, because unless you are
very lucky, and get some 'natural booming', human agency is a key
ingredient in the recording. in all but one of the Badain Jarain recordings,
considerable effort was required to get the sands sounding, and so that
put us squarely in the auditory 'action'. I do feel that perhaps from this
angle , one is in a position to be a little more anthropocentric in one's
attitude toward the thing. It occurs to me now, that at the risk of
sounding trite, perhaps we had a go on the world's biggest musical
instrument...

JrF: When & why did you become interested in field recording?

Isobel: I had a sort of epiphany when I was at the National Film and
Television School in England in 1997. I came from a background in
architecture and was studying production design and art direction at
the N.F.T.S when I got the chance to make my own short film. While
working with the sound designer and composer I was struck by the
amazing possibilities that design in sound allowed. Having spent years
designing what was to go in front of the camera, dominated by actors
and governed by the perspective of the camera lens, the sound world
allowed 360 degrees of possibility. I could tell what was behind a
closed door, or far away in the distance, behind my head, up close,
the range of perspectives and palette was extraordinary and the
freedom to create worlds so inspiring. I soon began experimenting
with recordings and found a world that continues to interest me and
evolve on a daily basis…

Rob: Probably from collecting old ethnographic albums from labels
like Ocora, Phillips Unesco and Barenreiter Musicaphon, maybe fifteen
years ago now. I began to listen to the acoustic context within which
things were recorded much more critically, and began to understand
how this was an entire cultural artifact in its own right.

JrF: How do you use your field recordings in your own artistic output?

Isobel: For me from the outset any interest in field recordings begins
with a story, I guess this is a hangover from my interest in narrative in
film and the relationship between man and the sounds of the
environment. I am a researcher by nature and I like sounds to have a
meaning, or cultural context so projects are usually governed by an
initial idea which may come from a literary quote and the artistic
envelope develops as part of the approach to recording an event. I am
primarily interested in the relationship between sound and the
imagination and the real sounds which are often referenced in art.
The results so far have been primarily a form of documentation and
capture. I like sounds to stand up by themselves without my
reinterpretation of them muddying the waters, although I have some
ideas for projects where that may be appropriate, so far I am merely
lifting a curtain and helping others to hear something (that was not
previously available)

Rob: The recordings I make at the moment are not generally of
sound, but of voltages generated by light sources, which I then
treat as audio. There's a lot of activity happening in front of our
noses (literally) which goes unnoticed because of our visual flicker
threshold. The temporal resolving power of the ear enables us to
hear what we can't see - for example, some digital lighting systems,
such as the ones you find in up-market shops, seem to use techniques
such as pulse width modulation as a way of 'dimming' light. All they're
doing is altering the amount of time when they're on, compared to
when they're off, but at frequencies way above what we can detect
with our eyes. When 'sonified' though, they can be surprisingly musical.
Natural systems of modulation, such as water, smoke, or foliage tend to
have a strong noise element to them.

I tend not to compose too much with what I record, or alter the
sound. The interesting part for me happens at the 'light' stage of the
process. For example, a window is a mixer, by virtue of it reflecting as
well as transmitting. Likewise, the sea.

(nb: JrF: there are several recordings of windows operating in this
manner available – for example Minoru Sato & Toshiya Tsunoda’s –
‘Ful’ & indeed my own recordings of windows at the Josef Sudek
atelier in Prague – egcd029)

I'll probably go back to recording normal audio more in the future.
For example, I'm working on a sound-driven cutting tool which I'm
going to use to interview retired engineers, using their own lathes as
a recording device. The cylinders will most likely be lengths of 4"
PVC soil pipe, which can be played back on any lathe with the
correct screw cutting pitch and chuck speed selected, and the
right shaped 'needle'.

Jrf: Are the terms 'music' & 'sound' important to you, either in the
way you feel about the sounds you capture and use or in the way
your work is viewed by others.

Isobel: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm … I like to think that there is some
musical element involved in the recordings, either tonally, rhythmically
or otherwise, but having just listened to the entire and/oar catalogue
which I was accessioning for the British Library Soundscape collections,
I don’t think I could claim to approach the recordings from a purely
musical aesthetic. As soon as you make a recording and remove it from
its natural context you have changed the shape of that sound and
moved it into another realm, I have not tried to bend the recordings to
suit that realm (musical), rather I hope that the recordings find a niche
of their own where someone comes along and finds them and enjoys
them for what they are… (bagpuss aesthetic)

Rob: In terms of 'music', these things are in the ear of the behearer,
and are contingent upon unknowable conditions; I know I've already
used the term 'musical' above though, so I suppose it must mean
something. My ears tend to perk up when discreet pitches arise from
unusual contexts. Does that count as musical? 'Sound' is slightly
different, in so far as I tend to make a distinction between sound
and audio. Infra and ultra sound are inaudible (although the former may
be felt), and so need to be thought about differently, in my opinion.
Maybe events too quiet, or too short to be heard should be on the
'not audio' list. Or too boring.

JrF: What effect (positive or negative) has the act of making field
recordings had on the way you listen to your everyday surroundings and
how has it affected the way you listen to other music / sound (if at all)?

Isobel: There are many parallels between sound and production design in
film, you only notice it when it is bad or exceptionally expressive yet the
work that goes into making even simple sound requires a good palette to
start with, which I realised as I started to experiment with sound and that
is when I started to really listen. I am a big fan of radio and am very aware
of a well recorded programme that uses sound. Unfortunately in the main
domestic market not much has changed in the last few years, it is still rare
to hear good sound on radio, it tends to pop up in specifically focussed
programmes as opposed to the norm. I wish there was more attention
focussed on sound in radio and programme formats allowed to develop
naturally… there is so much more we could hear.

From a musical point of view my head is going through a phase where I
can’t seem to do anything else sometimes when I listen to music, my
brain seems to focus in and I get lost there for a while (not unusual but
particularly hazardous at the moment)… I had an extraordinary experience
last year when I was recording Fingal’s cave where the sea began its own
concert and I literally couldn’t move, part fear in the big cave with waves
booming and resounding and the unexpected sounds of voices with no
bodies that appeared in my ears and on the recordings, and part locked
in syndrome, the sound was so amazing to be immersed in, truly
pleasurable… but that really is the sounds themselves……

Rob: This is a difficult question to answer. In terms of natural audio (as
opposed to photophonics), I live in the west end of London, so my sonic
environment is characterised by a heavy preponderance of brown noise,
with a bit of screaming and smashing glass added. This tends to blunt
your reception to the more subtle things going on around you, and this
has had an effect on my enthusiasm for recording my sonic environment,
but made me more receptive to other peoples' recordings, perhaps...
I'm answering the question backwards... It most likely has changed the
way I listen, but I would have a hard time explaining how. I would have
similar difficulty answering how taking photographs has changed how I
see my surroundings or reproduced images... part of me wants to say
that these things are just tools, but I know that It's rather more complex
than that. I should think that several books could be (have been)
written on this subject.

I feel it allows the listener to imagine what it’s like to be there....